1

Google Drive

Objectives

At the end of this session, you will be able to

Create files in Google Drive

Upload files in Google Drive

Organize files in Google Drive

Check revision history

Share documents on Google Drive

Collaborate using Google Drive

Introduction to Google Drive

‘Google Drive’ was originally called as ‘Google Docs’. It is a cloud based file storage

service provided by Google. It also provides synchronization service in addition, which

enables user to share and edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations collaboratively.

You can upload and share following files in Google Drive:

Word file

Excel file

Power point presentation

Images

Audio file

Video file

PDF

You need to have a Google account, Internet connectivity and a Computer/ Laptop/

Tablet/ Android Phone in order to use Google Drive.

You can use Google Drive for following purposes:

Sharing resources with your students,

Conducting group activities of students,

For giving assignments,

For planning academic activities or events with your colleague,

For maintaining records for quick access,

To send feedback forms,

To create and share lecture notes or reference material, etc.

2

Sign in to Google Drive

For signing in to Google Drive you may follow following steps:

1. Go to Google drive https://drive.google.com

2. Login using your login and password

Interface of Google Drive

Once you log in to Google drive using your Gmail login and password interface of Google

Drive will open. Interface of ‘Google Drive’ looks as follows:

It has several components as follows:

1. Search box

Search box allows you to search a File or a Folder created, uploaded or shared on

Google Drive. The arrow allows adding filters for precise searching.

2. Username

If you observe in the right hand corner of Google Drive Interface, you will find your

username being displayed.

3

3. Grid or List view Icon

Placed just below the username are four icons which will assist you in managing files

saved on Google Drive. The first button marked in red box allows setting ’List’ or

‘Grid’ view of files stored in Google Drive.

4. Sort Icon

Placed next to Grid view icon is ‘Sort’ icon. Sort icon helps in arranging files as per

Name of the file or based on the date the file was last modified or files modified by

the owner or files accessed recently by owner.

5. View Details icon

Placed next to Sort Icon is ‘View Details icon’. It displays all the activities performed

in Google Drive.

4

6. Settings icon

Forth and last icon in the top right corner of the Google Drive Interface is of Settings.

You can change various settings related to display or file conversion from here.

7. Left pane

This is a Left pane of Google Drive. This pane displays icons for creating and

uploading files and folders in Google drive. At the same time it also shows icons for

changing the view of View Pane. For e.g. when you click on My Drive in the Left

pane, all the files which you have created or uploaded will be displayed in View Pane.

It shows various labels for segregating the files on the Drive.

8. New Button

You can find ‘New button’ in the Left pane above ‘My Drive’. This button allows you to

create or upload various types of files in Google Drive.

5

9. View Pane

View Pane displays files and folders created, uploaded and/or shared with you on

Google Drive.

Creating files and folders in Google Drive

Creating files in Google Drive

You can create Document, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Form and Drawing in Google

Drive.

For creating files in Google Drive, you need to follow following steps:

1. Open Google Drive using your Gmail login and password.

2. Click on ‘New’

3. Click on ‘Google Docs’.

Once the document is created, it is saved in ‘My Drive’ automatically.

Similarly, other files e.g. spreadsheet, presentation, etc. can be created and saved in

same manner on Google Drive. You can also create 'Folder' in Google Drive for

organizing the files.

6

Creating folders in Google Drive

For creating ‘Folder’ in Google Drive:

1. Click on ‘New’ button

2. Click on ‘Folder’

3. A box will appear

4. Rename and click on ‘Create’

Created folder will be automatically saved in My Drive.

7

Uploading files and folders in Google Drive

Uploading files in Google Drive

Google Drive can be used to store various files. These files can be uploaded on Google

Drive from the desktop. The procedure for uploading the file on Google Drive is as

follows:

1. Log in to your Google Drive account using your Gmail login and password

2. Click on ‘New’ button

3. Following options will open

4. Click on ‘File Upload’ to upload file or folder from desktop to the drive

5. The box titled ‘File upload’ will appear

6. Select the File/ Folder and click on ‘Open’

7. The file will be uploaded on Google Drive

8

Before uploading any file you need to check Upload settings.

1. Click on setting icon at top right corner and open Google Drive Settings. Click on

Settings from drop down menu. Following box will appear.

2. Check the box to allow online editing of the file uploaded.

If it is not done then the file uploaded will not get converted to Google doc format. As a

result user will not be able to edit the file online.

3. Click on ‘Done’ to confirm the settings.

9

Uploading a folder in Google Drive

You can upload folder from your computer to Google Drive by following similar procedure

as for uploading file in Google Drive.

The procedure is all follows:

1. Click on new

2. Click on File upload

3. Click on folder for uploading folder from your computer to Google Drive

Rest of the procedure is exactly the same as uploading files in Google Drive.

10

Editing files in Google Drive

Google Drive allows you to edit variety of files. Documents, spreadsheets, slides, forms

and drawings can be edited.

Google Doc

Formatting, adding comments, changing language, downloading in various formats,

renaming and moving to a folder are some of the major tasks which you can perform

while editing Google doc.

Interface of Google Doc

This is the interface of Google Doc.

1. Title

Google Drive displays the title of your document at top left corner of the document.

By default, new documents are named ‘Untitled’ document. Simply click on the title

to change the document name.

2. Menu bar

Various menus for working with your document can be found in the Menu toolbar.

Click a menu to see available commands and options. Google Drive automatically

saves your changes as you work. The saved changes notification lets you know that

you document has been saved.

11

3. Shortcuts toolbar

This toolbar provides convenient shortcuts for formatting the document text.

4. Ruler

The ruler is useful for setting margins, indentations, and tab-stops.

5. Collaboration options

Collaboration options allow you to share your document with others and

make comments as you work.

Some more features

1. File tab

Using ‘File’ tab you can get access to various options where you can Share, Rename,

Copy, move or delete the existing document. You can also Create or Open a new

document. You can change the language of writing by clicking on Language. It

provides you with various language options like English, Marathi, Hindi, etc. to

choose from.

If you wish to download any document you can do that by clicking on Download as.

You can download the selected document as Microsoft word, Open document format,

PDF document, etc.

You can select Page setup option to change page orientation, margins, or paper size

12

2. Web Clipboard

You may find that sometimes it's easier to copy and paste text that repeats often in

your document. Edit button gives you access to Web Clipboard option. The web

clipboard collects copied selections and allows you to choose which selection to paste

into the document.

This can be helpful when you need to repeat text several times in the document.

Now let us see how to use web clipboard option.

1. Select the text you wish to copy.

2. Click the Web clipboard button

3. Select Copy selection to web clipboard from the drop-down menu. The selected

text will be copied to the web clipboard.

4. Place the cursor where you wish to add the copied text

5. Click the web clipboard button, and a drop-down menu will appear.

6. Click the copied text selection you wish to add and then select Paste as rich text

from the paste options.

7. The text will appear.

3. Hyperlinks

A hyperlink is a link to a web address (or URL). If you want to include a web address

in your Google document, you can add it as a hyperlink. then after clicking it will

open in a new browser window.

To insert a hyperlink:

1. Select the text you would like to make a hyperlink.

2. Click the Insert link button or right-click the selected text and click Link...

3. The dialog box will appear. Add text if you wish to.

4. Click OK. The text you selected will now be a hyperlink.

5. If you wish to change or remove the hyperlink, click the link and select Change or

Remove from the options that appear below the hyperlink.

Google Sheets

Google spreadsheet functions similar to Microsoft Excel. One can add data, segregate it,

draw graphs, insert tables, calculate sum, find average, add formulae etc.

13

The formatting bar in Google spreadsheet has icons similar to the ones in Microsoft

Excel, except the ones highlighted in red above. Let us explore them.

Adding Formulae to the spreadsheet

User can add formula for calculating average or sum of the marks given, etc. Formula

can be added to any cell in a spreadsheet by typing an equal sign (=) followed by the

name of the function.

Procedure to add formula is as follows:

1. Insert data table

2. Click on the next cell. Calculated value will appear here.

3. Click on the drop down arrow next to the ‘Functions’ button. A list of functions

will appear.

4. Select ‘Sum’

5. In the selected cell ‘=SUM ()’ will appear.

14

6. Select the data with help of mouse or add the cell numbers manually.

7. Click enter and the value will appear in the selected cell

Adding Filter

User can filter data added in Google Drive spreadsheet using ‘Filter’ option. User can

select the range of cells he/she would like to apply the filter to. Once range of cells is

selected it will turn green; as an indication, that filter is turned on. Also, the icon of

‘filter’ will appear green. Filtering options can be selected by clicking drop down icon

from the header row. By checking or unchecking the data points, user can restrict the

view of data.

Google Slides

One can create a presentation in the Google drive. It has similar features as Microsoft

PowerPoint. It allows adding background, changing layout and animation for slide

transition.

Google Forms

Google forms is not just surveys but you can take use it for managing event

registrations, collecting feedback, take up a quick poll or even to create a pop quiz. You

can customize it as per the purpose using various themes, can add logo of your

institution and use color palettes to create your own unique form.

You can add collaborators to let your friends, classmates, and colleagues build the

survey with you at the same time. You can Shuffle questions so they appear in random

order. You can invite an unlimited number of respondents to your form by sharing the

URL, emailing an embedded form so they can respond without leaving their Gmail inbox,

or adding it to a website. Responses to your surveys are neatly and automatically

15

collected in Google Sheets, and real-time response info and charts are available right

inside Forms.

Interface of Google Forms

1. At the top left corner of Google forms you can see the Title of the form. When you

create a new form is untitled by default. You need to click on it in order to rename it.

2. You will find various menus on Menu bar but ‘Responses’ button will allow you to

check the responses from the respondents. This button shows number of responses.

Apart from that, Form can be created collaboratively too. Forms can be shared with

Collaborators by clicking on ‘Add Collaborators’ in File menu.

3. This is the main body of your Google Form. All the questions or test items added in

the form will be displayed here.

4. You can add variety of questions or test items. ‘Add item’ button allows adding more

items in the form. Down arrow allows the selection of type of item to be added.

5. Once a form is created it can be sent to the participants by clicking ‘send form’. The

following box will open, add email address of respondents and click on ‘Done’.

16

Selecting response destination

Google Drive Form can be connected to a Google Spreadsheet so that responses can be

automatically sent to the spreadsheet. This option can be selected by opening

‘responses’ menu and then by clicking on ‘Choose response destination’. A box will open.

Choose the option as per your convenience and click on Create.

Google Drawings

‘Google drawing’ allows users to create, share, and edit drawings online. These drawings

can be edited collaboratively in real time by inviting others. Editors of the drawing can

collaborate in real time by means of chatting facilities.

Created drawings can be published online as images, or can be downloaded in standard

formats by clicking on File menu and selecting ‘Publish to the web’ or ‘Download as’.

Created drawings can be inserted into other Google documents, spreadsheets or

presentations

To add a Google Drawing to other Google documents:

1. Create the drawing

2. Click on ‘Edit menu and select ‘Web Clipboard’

3. Select ‘Copy shape to web clipboard’

4. The shape will be added

17

This drawing can then be added to Google Document, spreadsheet or presentation.

5. Open the Google file where you want to add the drawing

6. Click on ‘Edit’

7. Select ‘Web Clipboard’, it will show all the drawings you have added to the ‘Web

Clipboard’. Select the drawing and It will get added to the document

Sharing files in Google Drive

Google Drive enables you to share learning resources like Presentations, Documents,

PDFs, etc with others. In addition to that, you can work collaboratively with others.

The steps for sharing file or folder with others are as follows:

You can share any file or folder in three ways.

1. By Right clicking on the file you wish to share and selecting Share option from the

available options.

18

2. By left clicking on the file and selecting Share options from the actions buttons

displayed at the top of view pane.

3. By clicking on Share button present at the top right corner of the file you have

opened in Google Drive.

You can choose any of the method mentioned above to share the file. The further

procedure for sharing the file is the same irrespective of the way of selecting you

might choose.

Procedure for sharing files in Google Drive:

6. Click on share icon (you may select any of the way mentioned above).

7. Following box will open.

Write email address of the people in the space provided to share file or folder.

19

8. You can also control the limit of sharing.

Click on down arrow and three options will be displayed.

You can control sharing limits by choosing from the options provided, thus giving

authority to other person ‘to edit’, ‘to comment’ or ‘to view’.

9. Click on send for sharing file with others.

20

Sharing of any specific file or folder can be revoked by deleting that person's name

from the list.

Advance settings

Advance settings allow you to limit extent of sharing. You can make the file public i.e.

anyone will be able to view or edit the file, you can make it accessible to those, who

have the link of the file or you can keep it private where you will have to share that file

with others to allow them editing or viewing of the file.

21

Incoming sharing

Files which are shared with you by others can be accessed from changing the view to

‘Incoming’ from the left pane. Files and folders shared with you will be displayed in view

pane.

Revision History

Revision history feature in Google Drive allows you to keep track on amendments done

in any document of file. It helps you to keep checking contributions of collaborators.

Revision history allows you to select and restore any version of the file without deleting

other versions.

Follow the steps to check revision history of any document:

1. Open the document

2. Click on File menu

3. Select revision history from the drop down menu

22

4. Once you click on See revision history, ‘Revision History’ box will open

The box will show all the revisions of the document in the chronological order. If you

wish to check even minor revisions click on ‘Show more detailed response’ button

placed at the bottom of the Revision History box.

Revision history provides you the details such as time of revision, date of revision

and author who amended that file. If more than one individual have amended the file

then it is displayed using colour code. So when you click on that revision the

amendments are shown in the colour assigned to that individual.

23

If you click on ‘Restore this revision’, then that selected version of the file will be

restored without changing or deleting other revisions.

Managing files in Google Drive

Locating files in Google Drive

You can Search, Filter or sort files in Google Drive. These features will allow you to

organize and manage enormous amount of files and folders you have created.

Sorting files in Google Drive

Sorting allows you to put files in desired order. Generally files displayed in view pane are

sorted as ‘newest to oldest’ i.e. file which is created recently will be displayed at the top

of the list. But you can change the sorting option to ease the process of finding the

desired file.

Follow the steps given below to sort the files

Click on ‘sort option’ icon in the top right corner. Four sorting options will be displayed.

Select the sort option you wish to apply. Once you select the desired sort option, files

will get sorted and displayed in view pane accordingly.

File remains in the same sorted form till you apply a new sort.

24

Adding filters

Filtering allows u to focus on desired files by hiding unwanted files.

1. For adding filter, click on down arrow button or search option button.

2. A box will appear

You may add one or more filter to narrow down your search.

Once you add filter click on find to apply the filter. The view pane will hide all unwanted

files and will display files as per the filter added by you. In order to remove the filter

either press backspace key or select any view from left pane.

You can also type name or key words in search box to locate specific file without wasting

time.

Organizing files in Google Drive

You can organize files; created or uploaded, in Google Drive by adding them to folders.

This allows users to have easy access to files created, shared or uploaded. Also, the

folder can be shared with one or many users instead of sharing a single file.

Files can be organized as per your convenience by transferring them to the preexisting

folder or by creating a new folder.

25

To organize files, follow the steps given below.

1. Select the files to be organized

2. Click on the ‘Folder’ icon

3. Box titled ‘Move to’ will open

4. Select the existing folder in which you wish to move files or you can first create a

new folder, rename it and then select it.

26

5. Now click on ‘Move’

You will get the notification at the top of left pane. You can also drag and drop files in

the folder already existing.

27

Reference

1. 13 best cloud storage services 2015. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/internet/best-cloud-storage-dropbox-google-

drive-onedrive-icloud-3506734/

2. Yegulalp, S. (n.d.). 10 file-sharing options: Dropbox, Google Drive and more. Retrieved

June 28, 2015, from http://www.computerworld.com/article/2505487/web-apps/web-

apps-10-file-sharing-options-dropbox-google-drive-and-more.html?page=4

3. OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box: Which cloud storage service is right for you?

- CNET. (2015, June 1). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://www.cnet.com/how-

to/onedrive-dropbox-google-drive-and-box-which-cloud-storage-service-is-right-for-you/

4. Kataria, S. (2014, April 30). How to host your websites on Google Drive, Digit.in.

Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http://www.digit.in/internet/how-to-host-your-websites-

on-google-drive-20737.html

5. Google Drive Tutorials. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2015, from

https://sites.google.com/a/alpenaschools.com/google-drive/

6. Alexander, A. (2015, January 7). Google Drive Tutorial 2015 - Quick Start. Retrieved

June 28, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NLYbzXVJaY